Automatic air and steam coupler



Jan. 20, 1931. J TURRIN 1,789,792

AUTOMATIC AIR AND STEAM COUPLER Filed Sept. 24. 1928 I Sheets-Sheet 1 J.6;". Turrzln/ INVENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 20, 1931. J TURRIN I Q 1,789,792

AUTOMATIC AIR AND STEAM COUPLER Filed Sept. 24, 1928 4 sheets-sheet 2Turr i/n/ 1N;ENTOR ATTORNE) Jan. 1931-- J. G. TURRIN AUTZJMATIC AIR ANDSTEAM COUPLER Filed Sept. 24, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR J. Turrj/nATTORNEY Jan. 20, 1931. TUR 1,789,792

AUTOMATIC AIR AND STEAM COUPLER Filed Sept. 24, 1928 4 She ets-Sheet 4INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 20, 1931 JOSEPH G. TURRIN, OF NEWPHILADELPHIA, OHIO AUTOMATIC AIR' AND STEAM COUPLER I Application filedSeptemberi24, 1928. Serial-No. 308,075.

This invention relates to car couplers and its general object is toprovide a coupler for the air and steam lines of cars, that couplesautomatically and simultaneously with the operation of the usualcoupling now genera ly employed for coupling the cars themselvestogether, and the steam and air 'couplings are uncoupled accordinglywith the uncoupling of the-car couplings, therefore an attendant doesnot have to endanger himself by stepping between the cars for thispurpose. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide a coupling for the steamand air pipes of cars, that is capable of forming a leak proofconnection between the point of juncture of-the air lines. a 1 v Anotherobject of the invention isto pro 7 vide a coupling device of thecharacter set forth,that is simple'in construction, inexpensive tomanufacture and install and :efficient in operation and service.

This invention also consists in certain other features of constructionand in the 2 combination and arrangement ofjthe several parts, to behereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawingsand specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the 'several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating my coupling device applied tothe confront ing ends of cars and showing the association thereof withthe usual car coupling, with the parts in normal position. f

F igure2 is a similar view with the parts in operative or coupledposition.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of my coupling device in uncoupled position.

tion.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken Figure 4 is a similar Viewin coupled posi through the coupling in operative position. Figure 6 isa face view of one of my coupling devices. I

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken approximatelyon line 77 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the letters A and indicate theconfronting ends of a pair of cars which are provided with the usualcoupling members C'for' coupling the cars themselves together. Thesecoupling members are retained in position through the instrumentality ofa pin as shown, and this pin'is operated by a hand operating member Dhavingoneend connected with the pin, while its opposite end terminatesin a handle E extending laterally of the cars as shown. The handoperated member is formed with a horizontal portion F j ournaled at itsends'to the car. This horizontal portion F has fixed thereto a weightedlever G so as to normally'retain the pin in v operative position. v

Mounted for slida'ble'movement in suitable cross members secured to thecar are draw bars 1' having collars 2 secured thereto for the purposeofacting as a stop for one of the ends of coil springs 3 while theopposite ends of said springs are disposed in contacting engagement withone of the cross members as best shown in Figure 2. By thisconstruction, it will be apparent that the draw bars are normallyretained in their outermost position through the medium of the coilsprings so that the draw barsare under constant tension. g

Theouter ends of the draw bars terminate in forks4 which pivotallyreceive the shanks 5 of heads 6. The heads are mounted for movement in ahorizontal plane and to limit this movementthere is provided leafsprings 8 having'one of theirv ends fixed upon opposite sides of theforks while the opposite or free ends are disposed in'cont-actingengagement with the opposite sides of the heads. The heads 6-are formedwith reas clearly shown in Figure 5.

Formed with the outer ends of the arms are the self coupling shoes ofmy. device and these shoes are formed in a manner to cooperate with eachother as shown in Figure 5.

The shoes each include spaced parallel members 12 and 13 whichterminate't in rounded outer ends having secured thereln a pin 14traversing the members for a purpose which will be, presently apparent.Formed with the member 12 whichis' rela tively narrower than the member13 is a jaw 15 disposed in spaced relation with respect to the member 13and has formed therein a bore 16 having its upper end extending at rightangles so as to discharge on the inner side of the j aw 15. Thedischarge end of the bore has arranged therein a rubber gasket 17 havingannular flanges providing a channel for. the purpose of receiving theannular edges or the bore which is flanged for that purpose which isclearly shown in Figure 7 of the drawings. The'lower end of the bore 16extends through the bottom of the jaw which is provided with a collar 18havin fixedly secured thereto the adjacent end 0? the pipe line '19. r rV V The jaw 15 of one shoe is disposed on one side thereof, while thejaw of the other shoe is disposed on the other, and the shoes of eachjaw are similar in construction and have formed on their outer endshooks 20 to be received by the pins 14 when the shoes are arranged incooperative associationas shown in Figure 5. c

When in such cooperation, the inner sides of the jaws are disposed incontacting engagement with the rubber gaskets of the bores thereofdisposed accordingly jsofas to provide a leak proof connection betweenthe pipe lines 19 and 21. v V

The pipe lines 19 and 21 are provided for conveying steam and the pipelines 22 and 23 convey air. are likewise disposed in communicationthrough the medium of my'coupling and for this purpose the shoes areprovided with substantially L-shaped members 24 having bores 25 formedtherein with the pipes 22 and 23 in communication therewith. The innerends of the bores are disposed laterally to the inner side of the'L-shape members 24:

which are provided with recesses 26 to recelve the rounded heads of saidmembers 24 as shown when theshoes are 1n cooperative 1 position. Theconfronting ends of the bores The pipe lines 22 and 23.

are flanged to accommodate rubber gaskets 27 of the same character asclearly shown in Figure 7 so as to provide a leak proof connection whenthe gaskets 27 are disposed in contacting engagement as shown in Figure5.

In order to secure the shoes in cooperative position asshown in Figure5, I provide means for coupling the heads together and securing themaccordingly and this means includes the housing member 28 on each headand these housing members are formed with horizontal walls havingpivotally secured therebetween jaws 29 arranged for move- The jaws 29are enlarged as at 30 at one end to provide a counter-balancing mean'stherefor, while the I opposite ends terminate in hook members 31 ment ina horizontal plane.

having formed therein hook shaped recesses 32.91? .a sizento accommodatethe large port1ons'of the'hook member as shown, Figure 4, as therecesses receive the large portions when the coupling is disposedinoperative position in the manner as shown inFigure 4.

The ,pivot pins of the jaws 29 pass throughthe large portions ofthe hookmembers and spaced parallel ears 33 arranged in cooperating pairs asbest shown in Figure 3. By this construction, it will be apparent thatwhen the jaws 29 come together that the large portions of the hookmembers will clude a lever 34 terminating at one end .105

in an eye 35 secured to the head by-a pin for pivotal movement thereonas will be apparent. The opposite end of the lever 34 is directedupwardlyat an inclination as at 36 and terminates in an end bent atright 1-10 angles to the upwardly disposed portion as best shown inFigure 2. The latching means also includes a substantially right angleshaped lever 37 having one of its ends se-' cured to the eye 35 whileits opposite end terminates in an eye 36 for the purpose ofaccommodating one of the end links of a chain 39 which is securedthereto and the other end of the chain is fixed in an eye 40 of a link41 which is secured to the weight of the weighted lever G. The latchingmeans of each of the heads is provided with a coil spring 42 for urgingthe right angle bent ends 43 of the levers 3a in a downward direction sothat these ends of the levers 3 may retain the jaws 29 in either anoperative or inoperative position. as

shown in Figures 2 and 1 respectively. I

In other words, when the jaws 29 are disposed in inoperative position,the right angle small hook portions of the 1 bent ends of the levers 34normally rest upon the top of the enlarged portion 30 of the gether in aleak-proof'manner, and the cou pling members accomplishing this purposeare operated to coupling position when the cars come together and areuncoupled simultaneously with the uncoupling of the car coupling means.i

The outer edges of the confronting sides of the jaws 15 are slightlybeveled as at 44 as shown in Figure 3 so as to insure proper cooperationbetween the jaws when the latter come together. The shoes are providedwith recesses 45 disposed between the jaws 15 and the members 13, andthese recesses 45 have rounded inner walls which cooperate with therounded upper sides of the jaws 15 to cause the jaws to be moveddownwardly when the shoes come together so as to fix the hooks 20 of thejaws 15 about the pins 14. The jaws 15 are not movable by themselves butthe shoes in their entire ties move on the pivots of the arms 10 as willbe apparent upon inspection of Figure 5.

It is thought from the foregoing description-that the advantages andnovel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I may make changes in the constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the sev-' eral parts, providedthat such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In combination with a coupling for rail-' vay cars, a combined steam andair coupling comprising spring pressed draw bars, spring pressed headspivotally secured to said draw bars and having recesses formed therein,means for retarding the pivotal movement of said heads, arms pivotallysecured in said recesses, ears formed with said shoes, spaced membersincluded in each shoe with the jaws between the same, pins carried bysaid shoes and traversing one member and its jaw, hooks formed with saidjaw and being adapted to be received by said pins for securing the shoestogether, L- shaped members formed with said shoes and together withsaid jaws being provided with bores, said L-shapedmembersand jawscooperating for disposing the bores thereof in communication to providea leak proof connection therebetween, air and steam pipe lines incommunication with said bores, rounded heads formed with said L-shapedmembers which are recessed to accommodate the heads of each other, meansfor coupling the first mentioned heads together, latching means for saidcoupling means and being operable upon operation of the car coupling.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOSEPH G. TURRIN.

